Who Choreographed Still Life at the Penguin Café
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Who choreographed Swansong?
Christopher Bruce
What year was Swansong first performed?
1987
Who composed the accompaniment for Swansong?
Philip Chambon
Describe the accompaniment from Swansong:
Electro – acoustic with digitally sampled sounds, vocals, a reed pipe & popular dance rhythms. Unaccompanied interludes enable us to hear taping of the feet.
Describe the costume from Swansong:
Everyday clothes associated with roles. Khaki uniforms for interrogators & red t-shirt & blue denim jeans for victim.
Describe the set from Swansong:
Bare stage except for a chair suggests a cell. Interrogators always exit stage right (a door). The chair serves many purposes & is used symbolically as a weapon, a shield & shackles. Props (canes & red noses) are used to degrade the victim.
What dance styles are used in Swansong?
Contemporary with physical contact, balletic movements & cha cha.
What is the theme of Swansong? Human rights, prisoner of conscience, interrogation.
What is the starting point/inspiration of Swansong?
The work of Amnesty International & the experiences of Chilean poet Victor Jara.
How many sections are there in Swansong?
Introduction followed by seven sections. The victim remains on stage throughout & performs a solo in section 3 which has motifs that are repeated & or developed in section 7. What are dynamics?
How the body is moving. The quality of the movement.
Why are dynamics important in dance?
They add texture & interest to a dance & can help to show the dance idea, the mood or atmosphere of a dance more clearly.
What are relationships in dance?
The way in which you dance with others. They can add visual interest & variety & help make a dance idea clear. For example dancing in unison can look powerful & communicate the idea of strength.
What is a stimulus?
Something that inspires you to create dances.
What is a motif?
Movement or phrase of movements that represents the style or content of a dance. It can be repeated & developed in many different ways.
How can you develop a motif?
Use different body parts, change the order, change the dynamics, change the space. Describe canon.
Where one or more dancers move after each other. Like a Mexican wave.
Describe accumulation. This is like follow the leader where one dancer begins a series of movements & other dancers join in to all end at the same moment.